WEEKEND WINNER: ROGER FEDERER ENCORE

Another weekend, another title for Roger Federer. Sigh. . .a FedFan could get used to this!

Roger Federer played for his first Paris Masters title on Sunday, which was also his last chance to pick up a Masters 1000 this season. He faced local hero and 2008 Bercy titlist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a guy who’s drained Roger’s stores of confidence in recent times – most notably with an amazing five set victory over Fed in this year’s Wimbledon quarterfinals. So even after Roger won the first set in Bercy 6-1 – yes, even when he was up 6-1 in the second set tiebreak, the win always felt tenuous and the appropriately neurotic Fed Fan was still counting the seconds until Roger’s fragile psyche shattered to pieces on the court.

But that didn’t happen. Instead, we were treated to the sight of Roger hoisting the monstrous Paris Masters trophy over his head, forearms shaking under the weight and eyes wet with emotion. The title is important not only because it’s a new one for him, and a long-time coming in many respects. It gives him forward momentum, and the all-important ability to re-frame this season as one of near-misses instead of puzzling defeats. He can leave 2011 feeling like he’s still in control, and still with the opportunity to scratch his way back to No. 3 above Andy Murray before year’s end. It’s hard to talk about his inevitable decline when he’s suddenly moving in the right direction.

“I have played well for a few months now,” he said. “Maybe I didn’t win the US Open, but we all know I was one point away from making the finals and then who knows? But Novak was able to come back in that great match against me at the Open. And before that I think I had some really good moments, where I actually did play very well, such as Wimbledon and the French Open where I think more was possible, too.

“I have had some really tough losses this year, but I kept believing that still the year wasn’t over, I can still finish this year on a high, which that proves to be the case. Now I still have a massive highlight coming up in a week’s time.”

Perhaps just as important, his near flawless performance this week has reminded legitimate, younger rivals such as Tomas Berdych and Jo Wilfried Tsonga, that Roger Federer can still wipe the court with them.

Here’s Berdych after going down 4-6, 3-6 to Fed in the semifinals (via the ATP)

“I would say, and I’m pretty confident to say, that that’s the old Roger. You know, the years that he was really winning everything. We can count the unforced errors that he hit, like maybe, on the fingers on one hand, which is incredible. He started every set really great and just didn’t give me any chance at all.“

Sure, the rest of the Top 4 may be in a funk right now – or apparently in Nadal’s case, focused on Davis Cup – but confidence is built in steps and Roger can still go up a rung before the season is officially over. He goes into London on a 12 match winning streak, with the feel good title in Basel and a fresh Masters Shield on his nameplate. If there’s a good way for him to end his first season since 2002 without a Major title, this is it. Let’s just hope he gets a bit more sleep.